Sinister Seraphim of Mine (Overworld Chronicles Book 8) by John Corwin Read Free Book Online Page A

higher power."
    I thought I had the answer to at least one of those questions. "There's a race of siren-like beings."
    His gaze snapped to meet mine. "Explain."
    "Shelton, a couple other friends, and I accidentally opened two omniarch portals too close to each other and created a kind of rift effect which sent us on an all-expenses-paid joyride through another realm." The incident was still vivid in my mind. "We ended up on a plain of obsidian rock. These women with snake-like hair were growing an arch from the ground by singing to it."
    Jeremiah's forehead wrinkled. "What makes you think the dragons have anything to do with these people?"
    "The sirens looked about our size," I replied. "Most arches are huge—big enough for a dragon to fit through. Unless there's another race of giant beings out there, I don't know how else to explain it."
    "Inconclusive, but an interesting theory," he said.
    Elyssa's phone chimed. She looked at it. "Nightliss is ready. I'll open the omniarch portal so she can come to the mansion."
    "I'll go with you to meet her," I said. "She and I should go to El Dorado right away and find out if we're cherub fodder or not."
    Ivy gave me a firm hug. "Be careful, bro. The first time I got close to one of those things, I threw up ice cream all over Bigmomma—I mean, Eliza."
    "Speaking of whom, where is your wife?" I asked Jeremiah.
    At first he didn't appear inclined to answer my question, but he finally relented. "The woman you know as Eliza Conroy is safe."
    His statement raised a boatload of questions, but they could wait.
    Elyssa took my hand. "Ready to face your nightmares?"
    My stomach clenched. I hadn't been near a cherub since activating my inner Seraphim. Even if the disgusting things didn't make me puke just from being near them, they horrified me all the same. I put on a fake smile and nodded. "Let's go."
     

Chapter 5
     
    Nightliss gave me a hug and a peck on the cheek when she arrived at the mansion. "It is good to see you, Justin." She turned to Elyssa. "Nyte and Ash are excelling as Templars."
    Elyssa smiled fondly. "Are they really? I haven't talked to them in weeks."
    Nyte and Ash had been part of a Goth group led by none other than Elyssa herself at Edenfield High School. For Elyssa, it had been a cover to find vampires posing as high school students. Little had we known those vampires had been part of a much larger network led by a vampire named Maximus who was intent on recruiting kids he could draft into his blood-sucking army.
    Nightliss nodded. "They are very dedicated." She took my hands in her petite ones and squeezed gently. "So, we are off to visit husks? I hope this doesn't hurt."
    "You and me both," I said with what I hoped was an encouraging grin. I took out my arcphone and retrieved the image of an arch control room. Every arch control room I'd seen had several things in common. Each one had a large world map on the front wall. In front of the world map sat a pedestal with a basket-ball sized sphere operators used to open portals between two Obsidian Arches. Most way stations were also filled with rows of smaller black arches, and several omniarches like the one here in the cellar of the mansion.
    The particular arch control room displayed on my phone was different. It had an extra arch most didn't—an Alabaster Arch. Buried beneath an ancient city, the El Dorado way station had once been filled with all sorts of terrors, namely husked humans I called shadow people, and mobs of cherubs. Now, it was mostly clear thanks to the efforts of the dragons.
    Taking a deep breath and pushing away anxiety, I pictured the control room in the image on my phone and willed the omniarch to open a portal to the location. The space between the columns of the arch flickered, opening into a gateway. The three of us stepped through and into the room.
    The world map stretched along the wall before us. Behind us stood the Alabaster Arch. To our right was an open doorway leading into the main way