Sepia Blue- Nameless: A Sepia Blue Novel- Book 4 by Orlando Sanchez (best self help books to read .txt) 📗

or the affairs of the Order,” Deb said, clipping her words. “I never have and never will.”

Rafael knew this. In fact, one of the reasons Deb, along with Doctor Huu, were allowed to perform the recall procedure was their high level of integrity regarding Order affairs.

“I needed to ask,” Rafael said. “This is indeed Ganriel, leader of the Gray, and he was at one point a member of the Iron Sect.”

“Like you,” Deb said with certainty. “You were both in the Iron Sect.”

“Something like that,” Rafael said. “My involvement with them was a little more…complicated.”

“Don’t mince words,” Deb told him. “Either you were or you weren’t.”

Rafael was liking Deb more by the moment. Her no-nonsense manner of being was refreshing after dealing with the daily political machinations of Regional and the Order. Only Pira was as straightforward and frank as Deb when it came to dealing with the Director.

“I was, but that’s not the issue here,” Rafael admitted. “I need to disrupt his energy cycle.”

“Disrupt his energy…that could kill him,” Deborah said. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Gan is in a defensive stasis,” Rafael said, looking over to where Gan lay. “It’s a method of dealing with catastrophic injury.”

“The flatlines,” Deb said. “He induced them?”

“Yes, but he should have regained consciousness by now.”

“Do you think the recall procedure did this?” Deb said, glancing at Gan.

“No. Most likely it was his way of trying to deal with the effects of the mindswipe,” Rafael answered. “I think he overcompensated. I think—I fear—he may have gone too deep and can’t get back. At least not on his own.”

“Then we help him,” Deb said.

TWENTY-FIVE

Wake stepped back and tried to process what she had just heard and seen. They were on the roof across the street from where an old man had just confronted Velos and defeated him easily, with a cane.

A cane.

“Who was that?” Jas asked as she stepped back from the edge of the roof with a shiver. “He felt wrong.”

“He said his name was Smith. I’ve never heard of him. What I do know is that he’s powerful, and Velos gave him a sword.”

“He pushed that cloud of black energy away like it was nothing,” Jas said, fear gripping her voice. “It even covered him, and…nothing. What can do that? He looked like an old man but—”

“He read like much more,” Wake finished. “I know. Whoever he was, Velos was scared of him. Did you see how the old man stopped his sword?”

“Like it was a toy,” Jas answered. “Do you think he was Unholy?”

Wake nodded.

“Probably one of the more obscure types,” Wake said, dreading what she knew to be the truth. They had just witnessed a Nightmare Lord, or something close to it. “One we haven’t encountered. We need to tell Anna.”

“He said Sepia is in the Keep,” Jas said. “Do you think that’s true?”

“She’s not on the streets patrolling, and it makes sense Calisto would take her there,” Wake answered. “I don’t know. It also seems insane to take her into the middle of the Park where all of the Unholy are.”

“It’s what I would do,” Jas said. “Hide in plain sight.”

“I need to call Anna,” Wake said. “She will know more. We need to get off the streets.”

“I’m afraid your lives end tonight,” Tekt said as he climbed over the edge of the roof. “My lord wishes it to be so, and so it shall be done.”

“Jas,” Wake said, backing up under her breath, “run.”

“There’s nowhere you can go where I won’t find you,” Tekt said. “Face your death like the warriors you are.”

“Jas, you need to go to Anna,” Wake said. “Tell her where Sepia is.”

“No,” Jas said, pulling out her gun. “I’m not leaving you alone here with that thing.”

“Fine, you can stay, but keep back,” Wake said, backing up even farther until Jas was on the edge of the roof. “Make sure it doesn’t hit you. Can you do that?”

“If you keep shoving me back, I won’t have to worry about it hitting me,” Jas hissed. “What are you doing?”

“This Unholy is a drinker,” Wake said. “I’m making sure you stay safe.”

“We can take it,” Jas said, taking aim. “There’s only one.”

“Please do try,” Tekt said with a small bow. “That will at least make it entertaining.”

“We aren’t doing anything,” Wake said, unleashing a back kick and sending Jas over the edge. “Tell Anna what you saw tonight. I’ll deal with the Unholy.”

Jas sailed over the edge and landed on the street below with a grunt.

“Wake! No!” Jas yelled. “Don’t do this!”

“Go!” Wake answered. “I’ll deal with this. You need to go help Sepia.”

“Do you really think you can face me?” Tekt asked as he drew a blade. “Shall we make this interesting, or do you prefer to die immediately?”

Wake drew her gun and fired.

Nothing happened.

The bullets impacted Tekt’s body with no effect.

“Immediately, then,” Tekt said, unleashing black globules at Wake. “Goodbye.”

Wake dodged the globules and drew her blade as she closed the distance.

“Not going to be that easy,” Wake said, slashing at Tekt as he parried and stepped sideways. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

“I see,” Tekt said, dodging another slash followed by a thrust. “Good. I hope your assistant has this much spirit. It will make taking her life a delicious experience.”

“You stay away from her, you bastard,” Wake said, attacking in an intricate figure-eight pattern which forced Tekt back. “You will not touch her.”

“Oh, I will touch her,” Tekt answered. “After I drink your life from your withered body, she will be next.”

Tekt rolled to the side and unleashed a swarm of black globules at Wake. She avoided all of them but one, which grazed her arm, burning through her armor, down to the skin.

Wake grunted with pain as she stepped back, putting distance between them.

“I barely felt that,” Wake said with a grimace as she circled around Tekt. “Is that the best you have?”

“The best? No,” Tekt asked, sniffing the air. “I’m just getting started. Your pain smells