My entire body was locked up. Not by some effect or ability, but by indecision. My sister, my friends, they were all being threatened, and by someone I KNEW was capable of killing them in the blink of an eye. “What the hell was that?” I growled at Travis. My eyes were glued to the knife at my sister’s throat. “And you have us surrounded, can you please…deactivate those knives or whatever?”

“These knives?” He asked casually, translocating his glove for the one that had been pressed against Chelsea’s throat. I surged forward toward her, but Callie caught me as I realized nothing was happening. “Yeah, they’re just knives.”

I strained against every bone in my body, desperately wanting to attack now that I knew that, but they did still have knives on several of my friends, even if they weren’t magic soul eating knives.

Travis pouted. “Aww, you didn’t get all shocked at the big reveal. Ascendants can be so jaded. Still, I have to thank Delthrys for the cloaks. When no one knows what you’re capable of, bluffing is so much easier. They didn’t even sense my people drawing the blades, and they were RIGHT next to them. Divine work, right?”

“Where did the others go?” I demanded, trying to hold onto my last shred of rationality, at least until I knew what was happening.

He grinned. “That was a Banishment Bauble. I tuned it to this planet, and it rejects anything higher rank than the planet itself. All those pesky D-rankers and above are just kicked right off. I imagine the ship in atmosphere picked them up.”

“So…what?” I asked acidly. “You just wanted to piss them off? They’re gone but it’ll take them seconds to get back.”

“No.” Said Abel grimly. “It won’t.” His eyes flicked up to the lines in the sky. “I recognize those patterns. I’m not sure how they’re here. But I know what they do. This whole planet has been anchored in space. There’s a bit of tolerance, but if anyone above E-rank by more than a few points sets foot on Callus, it’ll shatter and send us plummeting into the void.”

That sounded familiar. “You mean like that one guy you paid for the labyrinth? What was his name again?”

One of the guests stood up dramatically, flinging away a heavy coat and hat, and yelled. “It was me! Mad Madigan!” Energetically. “Heya Abel, long time no see. You look like you got strong. Isn’t this a fun reunion?”

The man looked…crazy. He was sallow and thin, with dark rings around his eyes so deep they looked like bruises, and a manic, sort of jittery energy.

“Maddy.” Said Abel with a grimace. “I thought you were dead.”

Madigan threw up his arms like he was sticking a gymnastics landing. “Ta-dah! I’m still here! I just got lost for a while. But I found my way into one of those cool mini worlds the gods use. They were so impressed they offered me a job! I’ve been helping ferry people in and out of their sealed pocket dimensions, and they’ve been helping me get way stronger.” He flexed a bicep. “Lookit.”

“So…you sealed the planet like Abel’s old labyrinth.” I said, focusing on Travis. “I assume you filled it with powerful E-rankers. The Wendigos were yours, I take it?”

He shrugged. “I tried a few things. We have a really good teleporter, so I’ve been here a while. I can’t believe you didn’t invite me to your wedding, Shane. We’ve been through so much together. Lucky for you I’m a conscientious guy. Not only did I crash, I brought presents with me anyway.

“You’re kind of lucky your friends and family are all here, really.” He said nonchalantly. “Because the rest of the people on this planet are NOT having a good time. Or won’t be soon. Most of my friends are surrounding Wintervale right now, but hey, I made sure to leave a few buddies to invite all your favorite cities to the party. Not much of an example if we just snag the few of you.”

“You’re just going to kill everyone on the planet?” I demanded angrily. “Just to…what? Warn people off from interfering with your gods?”

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He shrugged. “You know how Ascendants are about good press. Have to make sure they know what we can do. Your vampire buddy did a good job of rallying the rabble to your cause.” He grimaced. “Hope is such an insidious thing. Some of the more hotheaded gods wanted to ambush him, but it was decided that would do more harm than good.”

I saw Bethy tense out of the corner of my eye, but ignored my friend for now. Morgan would be fine, he was a monster. But I could at least push them further in that direction. “A bunch of gods having to gang up on a mortal? That certainly wouldn’t strike fear in my heart. Where’s the dignity?”

“Exactly!” He said emphatically. “It’s pathetic. No, we don’t need the big boys mucking about in mortal business. It’s beneath them. What we needed was to make an example of someone at the same level. It’s more…appropriate.”

I snorted. “Oh, sure. And outnumbering us, what? Twenty to one? That’s totally in the spirit of fairplay. Why don’t you back your bully boys off and we can settle this one on one.”

“Please.” He snorted. “I didn’t want my gods humiliating themselves, but I’m hardly opposed to a little dirty dealing, as you well know. No, you and all your little friends are going to be part of something bigger than yourselves. Imagine it, an entire planet ritually sacrificed to our pantheon, the blood of ACTUAL gods spilled in the dirt from the veins of their descendants as their elders watch impotently from orbit.” He sniffed. “I’m sorry. It’s just so impressive it’s making me tear up a bit.”

“You’re legitimately the worst human being I’ve ever met.” I said bluntly. “And I helped kill a guy who stole and brainwashed children into sleeper assassins. So that’s a pretty high bar. I’m absolutely going to murder you before this is over. You know that, right?”

His smirk turned cold. “It’s nice to have dreams, bud. But don’t get lost in your delusions. You’re not leaving this clearing in any condition to ambush anyone. But don’t worry. You won’t die until the ceremony. Can’t make any promises for your friends though. So how about you be good, and I won’t have to teach any nasty lessons. Okay?”

“I could do that.” I said slowly. “Or I could just leave.” I triggered Double Trouble, appearing behind the guy holding a knife to Chelsea’s neck. Pulling him off, I tossed him away towards Bethy, who surged forward and ripped his throat out in a rage. “Bethy, Domain!”

Her eyes flared red, and the blood red moon filled the sky. At the same time, six different explosions went off, blinding everyone aside from the few of us who knew to close our eyes. Part of the security measures had been arranging escape measures with today’s wishes. Just because I trusted my mom, didn’t mean my paranoia wasn’t still going full blast.

The seventh wish had been granted to Bethy herself. She’d pulled everyone we actually LIKED into her Domain as planned, and the escape wish shunted her out of the venue, carrying the rest of us along with her in another bright flash.

I felt the world shift, and then a crash as I landed back first on black stone. “Ow.” I groaned as I rolled over. “Everyone ok? Did anyone get left behind?”

We’d chosen a place far away from the venue for the escape point, and we were lucky we had.

Part of me had considered blitzing for the entrance to the cold storage, if what Travis had said was true, we were stuck on this planet with quite a few E-rankers, and backup would be helpful…but in the end, we’d decided discretion was the better part of valor. Who knew how long it would take to recruit them if we even could, and with no wishes left today…

“Shane!” Said Nat in a panic. “Valk! They replaced Valk! Is he…do you think he’s dead? I can’t lose anyone else.”

I did think he was dead. But right now was not the time for that conversation, so I just put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t jump to conclusions.” I told her reassuringly. “They didn’t kill him out in the tundra at least. We’d have noticed a body. Maybe they have him in some sort of dungeon. We can look around once we get settled.”

Offering her false hope might be cruel, but I really didn’t know for sure if he was gone. Nat was…we’d need her. Her hanging onto hope until we absolutely confirmed Valk was gone wasn’t the worst thing in the world. I looked around, trying to find the others, the grass had receded, and we were standing on the battlements of a very large, very familiar castle.

“The necropolis?” Said Callie as she stepped up next to me. “Damn, been a while since we were last here. Not a bad hiding spot. No way anyone who isn’t local would be able to find this place, much less think to look here.”

I nodded. “Nat can help with that too.” I nodded to where Abel and Celine had taken her aside to start working on some security wishes. “This is a fucking mess.”

“It is.” She said icily. “And someone is going to pay. My mother is here with us, Shane! She’s pregnant.” Her voice was laced with anxiety, and I put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

“And she’ll be fine." I said emphatically. "I promise. We slipped the noose, and we have information about what’s going on. But I need you to check in up top. Talk to my mom and Zeke.”

Callie looked confused for a second, then her eyes flicked to her wrist. “The Starpluck Bangle!” My wife said in excitement. “I can get up to the ship and back down. I bet they won’t expect that.” She frowned. “But I can’t bring anyone with me. What good will that do? Plus I only get one trip there and back and then I need months to recharge.”

“Because you can still bring things with you.” I said maliciously. “This is enemy action, and not part of the candidacy. Which means interference is definitely on the table. Zeke and my mom are both old and powerful. They must have tons of weapons and armor we can give out to the E-rankers we DO have, and that bangle will bypass any blocks they have on this planet for sure.”

Her grin was bloodthirsty. “That is an excellent point. I want to check on my mom, but once we’ve talked through what everyone knows I’ll head up.” She turned to leave and then stopped, turning back to pull my mask aside. “Oh. And I know it kind of got overshadowed by this but…we’re really married now.” She gave me a soft kiss. “Once we kick these bastards off our planet, I expect a hell of a honeymoon.”

She headed off to find her mother, and I turned to the battlements, affixing my mask as I looked out over the necropolis we’d raided back during the scavenger hunt more than a year ago. I let the feelings hit me full force, anger, pain, frustration, even some hope and joy left over from the wedding.

Then I took all those emotions, and I tossed them away. They weren’t important right now. I had work to do, civilians to protect, friends to defend. We’d been prepared enough to get away, even with everything they had done. My paranoia had paid off big time. Now though, now we had to counterattack. There was an enemy force occupying my planet. They were going to regret that by the time we were done.