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The scholar shuffled his feet, but held his ground when he said, “I respectfully request you follow the decrees of Devram that state the Pantheon is sacred ground entrusted to those of us who reside here.”

Getting to his feet, Theon buttoned his suit coat. “Do not put these books away. I will return tomorrow. Understood?”

“Yes, my Lord,” the scholar said with a bow of his head.

Turning, Theon grabbed his bag that contained his laptop, scooping up various notes and things from the table.

Axel stood as well, stepping aside to make room for Kat. Theon brushed by the scholar, leaving them to follow, and even Axel had trouble keeping up with his brother’s hurried strides.

“Where’s the fire?” Axel called to him as they moved among the rows of books.

But, of course, Theon didn’t answer.

They made their way down a few more aisles. Axel hadn’t realized how deep in the archives they’d actually been.

“Are the archives on Ekayan Island this big?” he asked Kat, who was keeping pace beside him.

“Larger,” she answered. “Although there are four separate sections of them.”

“How do they decide what gets kept there and what is housed here?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

They turned down the next aisle and nearly ran into Theon, who’d come to a sudden halt. His darkness was hovering, and he’d pulled one of his favored short swords from his magic. Blocking the other end of the aisle were two figures with pearlescent masks.

“Holy fuck, they’re real,” Axel breathed.

“Of course they are real,” Theon hissed. “Did you think we’ve been fighting phantoms?”

“No, I’ve just never been around for the encounters,” he answered. “But Tessa isn’t here, so what do they want?”

“To speak with you,” came a female voice that had them all spinning. Two more figures stood at the other end, trapping them in the aisle. Axel grabbed Kat, shoving her behind him as he pulled his own weapon from his shadows. Katya wouldn’t be able to use her fire in here. The archives were warded against certain magic that could harm the volumes and texts housed in the passageways.

“Your organization has tried to kill my Source twice now,” Theon said. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“She brings only death here,” the female voice replied.

“I am death,” Theon said darkly, his power seeping forward.

Kat pressed into Axel, and he felt her gasp.

“Good,” the female said, taking a step forward. The figure beside her moved too. Simultaneously, as if they were one. “That is what you need to be.”

“Haven’t you people learned that the riddles only make me want to kill you faster?” Theon said casually, taking a step towards her.

“Theon,” Axel warned, nodding to the other end of the aisle, where the other two figures were making their way closer.

“No riddles, Heir of Arius,” the female said. “Only knowledge. You know who we are.”

“I know what youthinkyou are,” Theon countered. “Self-proclaimed protectors of Devram.”

“It is our destiny,” she countered. “Devram was created to keep the balance, and now that balance is threatened. She brings the war here.”

“She has nothing to do with the fucking war,” Theon snarled.

“How can she not when her existence upsets the balance? You cannot control the uncontrollable. Life must give, and death must take,” the figure said, stepping closer yet again.

Katya tensed, pressing further into Axel, and the motion had him lifting his blade. The figure froze, but she continued speaking.