“I don’t know if it’s Tristan,” she replied. “He’s had plenty of chances to kill me. I saw him the other day in the Garden of Glories, and I’ve bumped into him a couple other times.”
Nektarios narrowed his eyes. “The city isn’t that small. He’s likely preparing to kill you. He’s known for his patience in stalking and eliminating targets.”
“A lot of people visit the garden.” Lyssa shrugged. “And this is the one place there will be a guaranteed shard and Illuminated response to public sorcery assassinations. I would think if he wanted to kill me, he’d be a bit more secretive about it, rather than going out of his way to be public.”
“You underestimate his boldness, little girl.” Nektarios’s nostrils flared. “We should have dealt with him a long time ago. Our foolish restraint has led to this.”
“That’s your plan, then? Jump Tristan?” Lyssa argued, “People will die if that happens. And I don’t think it’s him.”
“I don’t care what you think,” Nektarios said. “But I have a more considered plan than simply flinging men at him. The enemy isn’t the only one who has been researching the matter of your spirit. The rarity of grand spirit materialization and the lack of spirit essences has left us less prepared to deal with them, but your spirit’s containment has been of extreme interest to the Tribunal these last six years.”
“Okay.” Lyssa folded her arms. “What’s your plan, then?”
“As I noted, I believe the assassinations of the others were intended to discern their involvement and knowledge of related rituals. Lee was working with some of the others on a sealing ritual that wouldn’t require a regalia or an active Illuminated, but we haven’t been able to find his notes. We believe the enemy destroyed them.”
Lyssa blinked. “You’re saying you could stick Jofi in a lamp or a jar?”
“A feeble analogy, but not inaccurate. Yes. You are expendable compared to Elders, but your death would further weaken the Society. Our best choice is to remove the spirit from the guns and seal it in a shard.” Nektarios nodded at his table. “We will then take measures to further secure the grand emptiness spirit so it will present no risk to Last Remnant or the greater world.”
“But his seal hasn’t broken yet,” Lyssa replied. “There’s no reason to risk it.”
“Three Illuminated are dead.” Nektarios wheezed. “That’s reason in and of itself. Lee reported directly to me on this matter. I’m well aware that you harbor delusions of friendship with the spirit and are perhaps intoxicated by its power.” He glared at her. “You don’t know, girl, because you don’t have a spirit essence like me. Those things aren’t people. Some feign it, but they’re nothing more than the embodiment of concepts, many dangerous.”
“So I’ve been told,” Lyssa grumbled.
“What you feel and believe is no longer relevant because you’re not being given a choice. The ritual will be held in one week, after we’ve had time to prepare the appropriate materials and shards. Say your goodbyes in the meantime without alerting anyone. You’re also forbidden to leave the city. We can’t risk you being ambushed in a wilderness area. Whether the Eclipse is behind this or another rogue, as long as you’re in the city, they’ll have less chance to kill you.”
“That’s it, then. We’re doing this?” Lyssa asked. “How do I know this ritual won’t damage my soul?”
“I assure you it won’t.” There was no warmth in his voice, almost like he was disappointed. “I have no desire to harm the long-term health of Society.”
“What about my life?” Lyssa asked.
“No ritual is without risk, but despite what you might think, I’d prefer we end this with the fewest possible losses of loyal Illuminated. You might be obnoxious, but you’re not a rogue.”
“Faint praise,” Lyssa muttered.
Nektarios pointed at the door. “Now go. I must begin the preparations. If you see St. James, don’t let him kill you. We have people watching you, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be able to stop him.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
The door opened by itself. Lyssa stepped into the hallway, blinking and shaking her head. Samuel was dead, and she was going to lose Jofi. Without the spirit, she’d no longer be able to use her showstoppers. She had one week left for her best shot at vengeance.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lyssa gave up on her meal. The plate sat on the corner table in her room, holding bizarre-looking gray meat with a sickeningly sweet flavor. Sumira had declined to identify it after wrinkling her nose in distaste. For all the Society’s objections to modifying animals, they didn’t seem to care as much when it involved something they could eat, but something delicious to one person might be disgusting to another.
The meat went down smoothly, but the overly sweet aftertaste made Lyssa desperate to wash it down with all the saltwater in the Indian Ocean. She’d given up after getting halfway through it. She hadn’t had much of an appetite after meeting with the Elder anyway.
“Are you okay, Lyssa?” Jofi asked. “You’ve been agitated since you returned from meeting with the Elder.”
“Nektarios is an asshole,” Lyssa replied. “No surprise there, that’s his rep, but dealing with it in person was harder than I thought.”
“Are you sure he is unpleasant, or are your innate tendencies to resist authority coloring your judgment?”
Lyssa scoffed. “Trust me. He’s a Grade-A asshole.” She stood, walked over to the window, and looked out at the waves on the water. “He’s also nothing I can’t handle, not after everything else I’ve dealt with in my life.”
It was deceptively peaceful. Everything had spiraled out of control. Her paranoia had convinced her she’d be ready for whatever strange ambushes might be sprung on her. She’d thought she was prepared, but it didn’t help.
She’d come to find out the truth about her brother and take out a
