"i have video proof of the demon summoning," thomas said. "the entire area was observed by ases." he flicked a silvery sphere to artemis.

the other man caught it. "i'm sure this is fabricated."

"you can't fake templar ase footage, coronus, and you know it."

the templar knight scoffed, and threw the all-seeing eye into the gutter along the road. "i won't believe your lies, spawn lover."

thomas sighed. "i had to be sure we couldn't reason with you before i slaughtered you and your men," he said.

"in case you hadn't noticed, we have you outnumbered two to one," artemis said. "the only slaughter today will be yours."

thomas turned his head, and nodded to his people.

the templars under his command slid red bands on their biceps. since both sides wore identical nightingale armor, it made sense to differentiate themselves. as one, they slid swords from sheaths, and assumed a uniform fighting stance, perfect in order and alignment.

thomas looked back to artemis. "numbers mean nothing without discipline," he said in a calm voice. "you told me that long ago when i first joined the templars. i looked up to you then as a friend and a mentor." he shook his head, his stony expression saddening for an instant. "i regret what centuries of power have turned you into, artemis. i regret what you are about to make me do."

"you're stalling, borathen," coronus said. "and it is you who have lost your way."

thomas sighed. "you chose your men for blind, unreasoning loyalty. i can tell from their reactions, they care nothing for the rule of law. let us see if they at least care for their own lives."

some of the as-yet unmasked people in the synod squad looked uneasily at each other. i wondered if they'd thought thomas would back down, considering the odds. now that he seemed determined, i could tell they didn't relish the idea of battle.

artemis coronus's face turned scarlet, his lips peeled back with rage. "to arms, men! kill anyone who does not surrender." he looked at the hesitant line of his soldiers. jabbed a finger toward us. "attack!"

the enemy line surged across the road.

the templars were at war.

chapter 38

i wore no sword, though i'd had foresight enough to put on nightingale armor before leaving the house. for me, the apparel was becoming as necessary as underwear. i felt useless. how many of thomas's people would die? how could i have prevented this?"

thomas roared a command.

the first wave of opponents attacked.

swords clanged. thomas's sword blurred in a silvery arc, taking off one man's sword arm. he ducked beneath a swing from another attacker and plunged his sword through the man's chest. the nightingale armor was apparently no protection against templar steel. thomas kicked the dead man away, sliding his sword free, and met another attacker's down-stroke. elyssa's sai swords caught an incoming katana inches from cleaving her face.

in a blur, she swung the enemy steel away. the tips of her sais plunged into the man's neck. blood gouted, and he went down with a gurgling scream. a sickened look crossed my girlfriend's face, quickly replaced by resolve as another enemy appeared.

i felt useless, having brought no weapons with me. i found a sword in a puddle of blood, a dismembered hand still clinging to it. with a shudder, i pried the lukewarm, dead fingers away and gripped the blood-slicked handle. i looked over the scene. pure chaos reigned from the synod men while thomas's men maintained a neat line and methodically cut down their enemies.

twitching corpses and body parts littered the street. elyssa ducked beneath a stroke aimed at taking off her head. she sliced the enemy's hamstring. another man came from behind her, sword raised. thomas caught the killing blow on his sword, gripped the attacker's wrist, and broke his arm. instead of killing him, he slammed the butt of his sword on the crown of the man's head. elyssa dispatched her assailant and met her father's eyes. he nodded.

i saw artemis's apoplectic face as he roared commands, all but impossible to hear over the fray. thomas strode toward the templar knight. elyssa intercepted a synod templar before he could reach her father. she caught his sword on the prong of her sai, twisted hard, and flung the sword from his grasp, sending it plunging through the back of his comrade. she flipped backward, her foot slamming so hard against the man's chin i heard the crack and saw teeth jettison from his mouth. elyssa landed lightly on her feet, swords at the ready. her opponent hit the ground and didn't move.

the sounds of battle dwindled. i looked around and saw why. scores of dead and wounded synod templars littered the street. only a couple of thomas's men even seemed wounded.

purple infused artemis's face.

"how dare you!" he shouted. "we will slaughter you in your homes, borathen! we will hunt you to the ends of the earth!" he flung back his cape and rushed thomas.

commander borathen's sword flicked aside the first thrust. artemis's long, straight sword blurred. thomas ducked, feinted a strike. the templar knight spun away from the feint and caught thomas's true attack just before it removed his head. their attacks became so quick they were blurs to my supernatural vision.

artemis blocked a blow, slammed his shoulder against thomas's chest, and drove a dagger toward his heart. thomas flinched, taking a deep cut on his sword arm. blood sprayed through the cut in the nightingale armor. i gasped and moved to help.

elyssa's arm barred the way. "this is his battle to win or lose."

"he's your father," i said.

her jaw tightened. "i know."

artemis backed off, a smile curling his face. "you can't win, borathen. in case you've forgotten, i never once lost the templar sword tourney."

"that's because i never competed in it," thomas said, a rare grin touching the corners of his lips.

"brave words from a man who's about to die," artemis said. "you can't hope to win, traitor. especially with an injured sword arm."

a steady rain of blood trickled from the long slice in thomas's arm. he snorted. "i suppose it's a good thing i'm left handed." he tossed the sword to his other hand.

a laugh burst from artemis's lips. "i've never liked you, borathen. you were stiff and frightened as a pig being led to slaughter when i first met you. how you rose from being a peasant to commander boggles my mind even to this day."

"i once respected you, coronus. i used to think you embodied all that it meant to be a templar knight." thomas's eyes went hard. "but now i think it will be a pleasure to end the miserable creature you've become."

artemis blurred forward, a sword in one hand, dagger in the other. thomas ducked beneath artemis's sword arm, pivoted, and sliced the man's arm off at the elbow. the templar knight screamed as blood spurted from the stump. despite the wound, his other arm flicked forward. thomas's back foot slipped in a puddle of blood, and the dagger caught him in the chest. he went down hard, scarlet fluid splashing.

elyssa cried out. one of thomas's men grabbed her before she could rush to her father's aid.

sensing a victory, artemis bent down, grabbed the sword from his severed hand, and strode to where thomas lay gasping. he raised the sword high. i looked at the grim faces of the templars on our side. was nobody going to stop this madness?

you're not a templar.

their rules didn't apply to me.

artemis's sword plunged point-down toward thomas. drawing on my magic, i flung strands of energy toward the templar knight, intending to jerk the sword off course. before they reached it, thomas rolled. he swept artemis's legs from beneath him while gaining his own feet, despite the blood streaming down the front of his armor.

"borathen!" artemis roared as he rose on his hand, stump, and knees.

a silver flash cut off his shout. his head dropped into the pond of blood with a splash, mouth open in a rictus of fury and maybe just little bit of surprise.

having your head cut off will do that.

i felt a hotdog from three days ago threaten to make a return trip up my throat.

thomas wiped his sword clean of blood on artemis's own cloak before the headless body hit the ground. he looked at his daughter. staggered, and went down on his knees.

elyssa streaked toward him. "i need a healer!"

one of the other templars knelt next to thomas and began working on him.

"why did you kill coronus?" she asked. "you could have arrested him."

thomas grimaced as the healer removed the dagger. "he was corrupt beyond repair. to arrest him would have invited more political upheaval. i, for one, am sick of the politics." the healer did something to stanch the bleeding and helped thomas to his feet. the commander gave a hand signal, and several horse-drawn wagons approached, driven by custodians, the templar cleanup and cover-up crews.

i snapped out of my funk, as my mind returned to another vital matter. "kassus is inside. i need his blood." it seemed a trite thing to say in the face of a street already flowing scarlet, the coppery scent assaulting my nose.

"apprehend maulin kassus," thomas said to his soldiers as the healer helped him to one of the wagons.

the unwounded templars wasted no time marching on the darkwater building and entering.

finally!

i couldn't wait to see the look on that bastard's face when they dragged him outside. i was going to enjoy drawing his blood.

it didn't take long to discover how premature my plans were.

"we've secured the building," one of thomas's people reported fifteen minutes later. "the target was seen fleeing into their underground data room. we found a hidden tunnel that leads to the sewers. it appears kassus exfiltrated that way."

"are you freaking kidding me?" i roared. i felt eyes lock onto me, but i didn't care. kassus had escaped right under our damned noses again. and now there was no telling where he was going. i slammed my fists against the boarded windows of the building next to us, splintering wood, and bellowing with fury.