“We all know what angry ghosts can do, Adair.” But thanks for the theatrics.
She rounds on me. “It’s a catastrophe waiting to happen, and it’s all due to your mismanagement. These Towers ran fine when the ghouls were here.”
“The ghouls didn’t have to deal with Lucifer’s Orb,” I say. “Do you know what the Orb does?”
“Please. Per Inter-Realm law, it’s my role to ask questions in a formal investigation.” Adair pulls a sheet of paper from her pocket. “Let’s begin. The souls in this Ghost Tower seem perfectly ready for Heaven or Hell. Why don’t you use your Scala powers and move them all at once, in a big iconigration?”
“I tried. I could only move them all to Hell.” In fact, I barely stopped the iconigration in time, not that I’m telling her that. “As I started to say before, Lucifer’s Orb is now in Purgatory. You know what that means, right?”
“No.” Adair shrugs. “Should I?”
I stare at her for a long minute. Could she really be that oblivious to the challenges facing Soul Processing in Purgatory? She is our Thrax Diplomat, after all. There’s a smug, know-it-all look in her eyes that confirms my worst suspicions. She’s absolutely and blissfully oblivious.
“Here’s the deal. The Orb is the ultimate source of demonic power in the after-realms. Right now, it’s forcing me to send all souls to Hell. Long story short, I’m not sending spirits anywhere until the Orb is gone.”
Adair taps her chin. “And there are no other reasons preventing you from moving souls?”
“Like what?”
“Your grip on igni, for instance. Maybe the problem isn’t that Lucifer’s Orb is too strong. Could be, you’re too weak.”
“Weak? I sent Armageddon to Hell with my powers.”
“You were strong at one time, sure. But now? I see it as my job to use my unique knowledge of igni to assess your current state. After all, I was initiated Scala Heir by Verus, the Queen of the Angels.”
I set my fist on my hip. I can’t believe she’s bringing up that sham initiation. Verus only did a fake ceremony with Adair in order to activate my real powers. Adair even admitted as much herself.
“Come on. Don’t you remember? We were all in a bunker, right before my battle with Armageddon. That’s when you came clean that your initiation was a sham. You even confessed how your witch-friend Gianna faked your power over igni.”
Adair does an awesome job of looking totally shocked. “I don’t remember that at all.”
“Senator Frederickson was in the bunker with us.” I turn to Cissy. “Do you remember the Diplomat’s confession?”
“Vividly.”
Adair rests her fingertips against her throat and sighs. “The friendship between the two of you is touching, really touching. But it won’t stop this investigation.” Translation: she’s saying that Cissy’s lying for me. My blood starts to boil with rage.
The Ghoul Delegate raises his hand. “What should we do about the Ghost Towers? I, for one, am very concerned. I’d appreciate some insight from the Thrax Delegate.”
Note to self: hate that guy.
“I don’t know yet,” Adair says with a sad shake of her head. “The mismanagement issues here are pretty severe. I need time to complete my investigation.”
My hands ball into angry fists. Mismanagement issues? This has gone too far. Either I bash Adair on her turned-up nose, or I call an end to this meeting.
Le sigh. As satisfying as a punch would be, it would only give Adair more fodder to make trouble.
“Great idea to investigate,” I say sternly. “Why don’t you go do that? Like, somewhere else?” I point to the door. “And right now?”
Adair neatly refolds her paper and resets it into her pocket. “Agreed. I’ll depart, if that’s acceptable to you, Senator.”
Cissy waves her hand towards the exit portal. “You’re all free to go.”
“Thank you for your time today.” Adair grips my hands in her own. “Good luck.”
I wince. Adair’s palms feel cold, clammy and stomach-churningly gross. I release them quickly. “Good-bye, Adair.”
“Follow me, people.” Adair finally walks away, happily chatting with her two diplomatic colleagues. No doubt, she’s telling them horror stories about how the Ghost Towers will explode any second.
Once they’re gone, I lean my head back and groan. “Oy. I really need to kill me some demons.” I raise the silver envelope. “This was your handiwork, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. I thought it would keep her inspection short, at least.”
“It totally did. She’d have actually inspected something if it weren’t for you. By the way, how’d you find the demon so quickly?” Only a real sighting would’ve called out a thrax warrior.
A mischievous look crosses Cissy’s face. “I might have imported it. Let’s just say I owe the Furor Delegate a big favor.”
“Damn, girlfriend. You wheeler-dealer you. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Cissy frowns. “Now, are you ready for the really-bad news?”