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“So, you’re saying there’s a third party at play here?” I said, frowning.

“I think so. Several gods have lost worlds too.”

“To the demons?”

He shrugged. “The gods claim it was the demons, but that’s a lie. I read one of the mission reports before Faris classified the whole thing. The gods lost those worlds because the locals rose up against them.”

“Yeah, I was on one of those worlds a few weeks ago,” I told him. “Faris sent me there to rescue some of his soldiers who’d gone missing. It turned out the locals killed half of the soldiers and captured the rest.”

“They killed gods?” Stash said in surprise. “Just what kind of powers do these people possess?”

“None.”

“None?” Stash repeated the word like he didn’t believe it. “You’re telling me that humans took down gods?”

“They had these special devices,” I said. “They looked like batons. The batons released some kind of energy that could kill a god. It worked a lot like Venom.”

Stash frowned. “Venom-shooting sticks that humans can operate? I can see why the council would keep this quiet. They’ve built their empire upon the idea that they are divine beings living on an entirely different plane of existence, one that humans simply cannot touch. This latest development challenges that.”

“I talked to the locals on that world,” I told him. “They said someone gave them those god-killing batons. A divine being that they now worship as their savior and god.”

“God-killing batons. Immortal artifacts that can kill a demon.” Stash shook his head slowly. “I think you’re right, Leda. It sounds like there is definitely a third party at play here.”

“The Guardians,” I said immediately. “This is exactly their style. They’ve been playing gods and demons off of each other for thousands of years.” Just thinking about the Guardians’ machinations made me uneasy. A chill took hold over me, freezing my breath on my lips. “How many worlds have the gods lost?”

“I don’t know the exact number, but it’s not a small one,” replied Stash. “They are all worlds at the periphery of their territories, though. Faris’s territory is the largest of the gods’, so he’s lost quite a few more than the others. Ronan’s also lost a lot.”

That explained what Nyx and Ronan had been up to.

“And the demons are having the same problem?” I asked. “Losing worlds?”

“Yes. But I know even less about their losses.” Stash slowed his pace. “Here we are.” He pointed at the mountain in front of us. “Faris’s fortress.”

“The fortress is inside the mountain?” I asked.

“Yes.” Stash pressed his hand to the wall, and a door appeared in the rock face.

“Fancy security,” I commented as we passed through it and entered a tunnel.

“Not fancy enough, apparently.” Stash indicated the trio of soldiers lying on the ground, not far from the entrance. They were dressed in the armor of Heaven’s Army, the same armor that Stash wore.

I crouched down for a closer look at them. “They’re dead.”

“Whoever killed them is still here.” Stash lifted two fingers to his head and tapped his temple. “I can hear them.”

I rose again. “Then let’s see what we’re dealing with.”

We crept down the tunnel. It forked several times, but we just kept chasing the symphony of clicks and clinks, booms and bangs. Finally, we came to a large, open chamber. The white stone walls, speckled with gold, were smooth, silky—and they glowed, like they were being lit up from the inside.

Fourteen soldiers, decked out in unmarked black armor, were loading crates into a lightweight vehicle. Two more were keeping watch. Stash and I hid ourselves behind a massive stone pillar before anyone spotted us.

“Those are not Faris’s soldiers,” I whispered.

“No,” Stash agreed, frowning. “They are not.”

“Any idea what’s in those crates?” I asked. “What is Faris storing at this base?”

“I don’t know.”