Page 30 of Gates of Rapture (The Guardians of Ascension #6)

Thorne scratched his forehead with his thumb. “Despite all the unknowns, your possible ascension to Third, or whatever the hell this turns out to be, was one more reason we decided to set up the war room here at the palace.”

Endelle nodded, then gestured from Leto to Alison. “You know, there’s a bit of symmetry here between you two. You battled each other in the arena, and now Alison got her wings and more dreams of White Lake, and you have a Guardian of Ascension sent here to protect you during your ascent to Third.”

Thorne fixed his gaze on Grace. “Endelle and I believe that Greaves has been waiting for your return before making his move. I’ve been tracking the location of his army for some time now, for months.

Almost within the hour of your return, he began moving a massive portion of his force here to his extensive underground bunkers near Estrella. ”

“How do you know?” Grace asked. “I mean, the bunkers are partly under Greaves’s peach orchard and partly deep beneath the Estrella Mountains.”

But it was Leto who answered the question. “Because I created a back door to the facility, and told your brother all about it.”

“A back door?” Grace asked.

“A computer program linked up with hidden surveillance units in just about every main room of the compound. I couldn’t do anything about the rooms Greaves used—he was too smart for that. But the concealed aboveground landing platforms and the underground bunkers, yes.”

Thorne smiled. “Leto has shifted the balance of power in our direction. We know so much more about Greaves and about his operation than we ever would have known if he hadn’t served as a spy.

” To Leto he said, “I want you to work with me at the command center, specifically on strategy. If Greaves intends to attack at White Lake, with all those gardens and hotels lined up on both banks, we’ll need a plan in place with orders ready to deliver to all the Militia Warrior Section Leaders. ”

He rose, and because there was command in his manner, everyone rose along with him.

***

Leto could breathe. Between Kerrick’s earlier demonstration of warrior acceptance, and Thorne’s obvious trust in Leto, yes, he was beginning to breathe. “Where do you want me?” he asked.

Thorne smiled. “Right next to me for now. We have some planning to do.”

Leto nodded.

What might have happened next was disrupted by a shimmering that appeared next to Endelle.

Both warriors drew swords, but the man who materialized looked about as harmless as a librarian. Leto knew him well.

James.

He had gray hair, a novelty in any ascended world. He was short given the relative height of everyone in the room, and there was laughter in his shining light blue eyes.

As Thorne and Leto folded their swords away, Endelle addressed the newcomer. “Hey, shorty, long time no see. What the fuck are you doing here?”

He drew close. “How about a date?” he asked.

“In your dreams.”

He laughed as he turned to face not Thorne, or even Alison whom he had known since her rite of ascension, but rather Leto.

“The time has come, my boy,” James said.

“I have a directive from Sixth Earth at long last. I know you always questioned whether all the difficult things you had to do serving Greaves would be worth the sacrifice: becoming a death vampire, providing us with thousands of documents, building an army for Greaves.”

Every muscle of Leto’s body tensed. Grace must have felt it because she slipped her hand into his, a great comfort. He didn’t say anything, though; he just waited, as they all did, hanging on what James would next say.

James’s lips curved slightly. “So you know that army you built?”

“All two million of it? Yes, and the knowledge is painful.”

“Well, sometime in the next forty-eight hours, I want you to start taking back as much of Greaves’s army as you can. Not the death vampires, of course, they’re beyond reasoning. But the hundreds of thousands of Militia Warriors will follow you, if you but ask. That’s what we know to be true.”

Leto was stunned. “Why will they follow me?” he asked.

“Because you’re a Warrior of the Blood, and you carried those values with you when you built that army.

The same values now live in all those men and women.

You treated Greaves’s Militia Warriors, especially your Division and Section Leaders, with great respect.

Your reputation among them is unequaled.

“Greaves’s generals, on the other hand, are struggling to maintain control because they failed to continue the structure you put in place, the one built on honor and decent treatment. Thousands have deserted, and an equal number have been executed at the whims of the generals.

“When you left, several of Greaves’s top men fought for control so that the army is now split under three separate men.

Believe me, you have an opportunity to win them to Endelle’s side.

As you know, the Council of Sixth Earth can never act outright, but we can offer guidance.

Just please take what I’ve said very seriously. ”

Leto had known James for a century. Though he had the appearance of a mild, humble man, at times he spoke like an ancient warrior, like someone who knew what battling was, how hard it was on the dedicated soldier, how much discipline was required to get through each day, especially when the days were filled with war.

At other times, like now, he talked like a man who had served on a council for centuries.

He was two men, but perhaps everyone was.

Leto drew in a deep breath. “If there is even the smallest chance that I could turn the army, or any part of the army, I’ll do it. I swear it on my life.”

James stepped toward Leto and clapped him on the shoulder.

“I know all that your service took from you, every ounce of hope at times, and how far into despair your activities plummeted you. But that life is over, and this new one has begun. So don’t hold back, Leto, not in any sense.

We have a chance now. We have a chance.”

Then James smiled, a very broad smile, and a sheaf of papers appeared in his hands. “Remember all those files you stole for us?”

Leto glanced at the papers. “Yes.” His heart began to vibrate softly, as though he already knew what James was about to say.

“Well, right here are the private cell phone numbers for every Division and Regiment Leader of Greaves’s army. We broke the code for you, so you needn’t worry about that. Also, we suggest you start with the divisions out of Mongolia Two and Australia Two.”

Leto took the papers and his heart began to sing. Here was justification, something specific that could be drawn from his years as a spy, that could help the ones he’d betrayed. He could bring a fully operational army and lay it at Endelle’s feet.

“Hot damn,” Endelle said. She even slugged James’s arm. “You finally came through for us.”

James did the unthinkable. He reached high, planted his hand on the back of Endelle’s neck, drew her toward him as he reached up, then planted a kiss on her lips.

As she recoiled in protest, James laughed then vanished.

Endelle wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“That little bastard. I’ll get him for that.

And why the fuck did he just take off? I have a thousand questions he needs to answer.

One day, I’m going to sit on him and force him to cough up all the information I want, and Sixth Earth can just suck it. ”